08/15/2025
“You’ve always been fit, Coach D!” is the message someone left in my DM, but little do they know, my journey has had its share of ups and downs. One memory that stays etched in my mind is a heartfelt conversation I had with my mother while she bravely faced her battle with breast cancer in 2020. She shared with me a poignant regret: she wished she had taken better care of herself while raising us. 😭
🥼🩺Not long after, during a routine check-up, I found myself confiding in my doctor about the unusual 60-pound weight gain I had experienced. Life’s stressors had pulled me away from my healthy habits—I had stopped working out and eating well as I juggled trips back and forth to support my mom.
🥼🥰 That’s when she posed a question that struck me to my core: “How can you care for your mother if you don’t take care of yourself first?” In that moment, the floodgates opened, and I couldn’t help but cry—tears of frustration, grief, and realization. My doctor compassionately allowed me to release that emotion for a good 20 minutes.
When I finally composed myself, she hugged me, then looked me in the eyes and said, “Your mother will be okay, and I hope to see you again in six months with a better health report!” Her words stuck with me, and that was the turning point I needed to start prioritizing my own health journey.
